


Alone Together

by twist_and_scream



Series: Learning As They Go [3]
Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Arguing, But the Tempest is Tiny, Cockblocking, Comfort Sex, Crew Conflicts, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Fluff, Jaal and Ryder just want alone time, Movie Night, Sorry Not Sorry, Vetra has a crush on Suvi, and a bit of smut, this is too long
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-16
Updated: 2017-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-19 13:29:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10640799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twist_and_scream/pseuds/twist_and_scream
Summary: Jaime Ryder and Jaal Ama Darav just want a moment alone so they can relax and recuperate after a stressful day. But getting privacy on a crowded stealth ship is nearly impossible. Especially when the crew is full of absolute children.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I use biotic characters, and the idea of the interplay between biotics and bioelectricity got stuck in my head. Biotics build up a static charge from their abilities, and mass effect engines build up enough to power the entire Tempest according to Kallo, so *maybe* a biotic Ryder could use her abilities to disperse some of Jaal's stronger bioelectricity across the field (he might not know what a human can safely handle) and she can mimic the sensation back? Vega and Jacob said biotic fields tingle, and biotics interact with electricity through attacks, so maybe a more gentle version? The idea unwisely stuck, I’m sorry if it goes against canon science, the mechanics of biotics are confusing.

 

_Pathfinder Ryder,_

_That is unacceptable. Your Initiative leaders refuse to listen, so I now put it to you to make them. The angara refuse to negotiate over our homes to satisfy your directors’ ambitions in Heleus. You may settle Elaaden and Kadara, but humans will not rotate to live on Aya or Havarl. ‘Prospering together,’ as Tann loves to assure us, cannot happen if he expects us to capitulate to his every proposition. I expect you will make that clear._

Ryder smiled at Evfra’s clipped and begrudging expression of trust. Ryder was still trying to discern if Evfra accepted her or merely tolerated her as a lesser evil and his own mistake for letting Jaal join her crew in the first place. Closing one email and bringing up the next, Ryder rubbed her temples at Moshae Sjefa’s promising more trouble.

  _Pathfinder,_

_Evfra is trying to solidify a position of strength in front of your leaders. He is not always polite in doing this. But he is right. The angara will not bargain over whether we have the right to maintain our traditions. Pathfinder Raeka and I have suggested a focused cooperation on making Eos more habitable for all of us, to offset the strain on angara resources while your people survey the extent of Meridian. Cooperation is crucial in these early stages. I am sure you understand this, as I do, and even Evfra does. But some things cannot be compromised. Your directors must understand this._

Ryder could feel Moshae Sjefa’s constant calm and order radiating through the terminal. The Moshae had adapted to Initiative politics as easily as if she had been negotiating with them her entire life, taking some of the strain off of Ryder and her crew as they stood at the center of Heleus relations. Jaal had humbly accepted Evfra’s appointment as the Resistance voice on the Nexus and Hyperion, while Liam was working overtime with the outpost leaders to form an integration program for the angara and Initiative species alike. 

Director Tann’s email spanned three pages of complaints, reprimands, and dripping disappointment at the lack of progress The Initiative had made since ‘conquering the kett.’ Evfra would love that language, Ryder tapped the screen with her fist. 

_The Initiative cannot afford to hesitate on the brink of progress, Pathfinder. The angara_ ** _must_** _see that this partnership is the only way forward. Regrettably, Evfra is resisting our best attempts at diplomacy._

Ryder rolled her eyes at the feeling that Tann was still chuckling to himself with satisfaction. There were iron girders with more flexibility than Evfra, and the Resistance leader openly despised Tann’s calculated pleasantries, even preferring Addison’s business-like expectations and Kesh’s blunt assessments.

  _Pathfinder Raeka and the Moshae,_ Tann dropped names like garnish, _Have already spent entirely too much time trying to coax him into a compromise. A more direct approach could be our only solution to asserting our place in Heleus._  

Better and better, Ryder closed the email. Tann sought to settle Heleus through cunning and measured kindness, and if that didn’t work, blunter force. He had only learned so much from the Nexus uprisings, Addison had once let slip in a mumble she had pretended not to remember when Ryder noticed. Evfra and the Moshae were too stubborn and wise, respectively, to fall for Tann’s maneuverings.

Ryder returned to her mailbox and stared at the crowded screen in complete apathy. She hadn’t joined the Initiative to become a Pathfinder, bureaucrat, or soldier. Now she was trying to be all three. As a Pathfinder alone she had barely managed to let her crew and their allies drag her to a temporary victory. Drawing air through her nose and whistling out to see how long she could make the note last, Ryder leaned backwards over her chair and closed her eyes. She could feel her weak sense of control slipping away.

_Deep breaths_ , Alec Ryder instructed firmly.

Ryder breathed the way Cora had shown her, watching her chest rise and fall in a steady sluggish rhythm. Ryder laced her fingers behind her neck and squeezed her head between her arms to block out everything but the ceiling above her.She imagined her breath streaming upwards in a column to the ceiling through her long exhale.She had control: control over her ship, and this cabin, even over Tann and Addison if she had to put her foot down. Raeka and the Moshae could handle themselves, and Tann could wait a few more days while Evfra kept him at bay. Ryder tapped her chest above her slowing heartbeat, replacing the staggering rhythm with an aimless beat she improvised. She was ok. She had caught herself on the brink, halting the nauseating spiral of anxiety before they wrapped around her chest and crushed her. Ryder found some triumph in that.

Scott strutted into the cabin without warning, and Ryder gritted her teeth to keep from snapping at her brother’s newfound bad habit. Wiggling his finger at Odin in his cage and clucking dotingly, Scott ignored Jaime’s questioning look.

“Why are you in here?” Ryder cringed at her childish question.

“Just wanted to say hi,” Scott clearly fibbed. Picking Odin up in his hands and cooing at the hamster, Scott rambled, “Maybe Odin needs a friend. Cooped up in this cabin all day, poor little scrap ball.”

“What do you want, Scott?” Ryder snapped.

“Yikes,” Scott clutched Odin to his chest. “Who pissed in your coffee?“

 

“It’s just…one of those days.”

Scott fell quiet with understanding. For all the times Ryder despaired over trying to convince Scott to see her as a commander of the ship and not just his sister to hassle for nostalgia, she was thankful for the times Scott knew just when to squash his sibling rivalry. Ryder couldn't imagine navigating the fallout of Meridian without her brother shouldering part of the Ryder reputation. Scratching Odin’s ears, Scott placed the hamster on the top of his sister’s head.

“No,” Ryder forced herself not to laugh at Odin’s skittering feet on her scalp.

“But he loves you,” Scott wheedled in a baby-voice. 

“Get him off.”

Scott picked the hamster out of Ryder’s hair and held him in front of his sister's nose. 

“Look at that face,” Scott cooed. “How could you not love that face?”

Odin’s nose twitched and his ears wiggled cheerfully. Ryder took the dangling hamster into her palm, leaning forward to let Odin nuzzle her nose with his whiskers. Ryder kept Odin happy at least. Another staggering triumph, Ryder congratulated herself and tickled Odin’s ears. She had the competency of a responsible second grader.

“Scott Ryder,” Lexi commanded through the entire ship. “You have an appointment. _Now_.”

Scott stuck out his lip pathetically at Jaime and held his cupped hands out for the hamster. Ryder heard Liam and Gil “oooo”ing like teenagers in the crew quarters next door and Ryder pointing Scott out the door. Scott had borne the endless series of medical tests since he limped out of the Archon's clutches. Sitting most of the action out in the med bay or in the safety of the ship was starting to wear on Scott, while Scott's increasing rebellion against more tests was wearing on Lexi.

“I can’t take it anymore,” Scott whispered. “She’s poked me everywhere! I didn’t even know humans had that many places to poke!”

“You were in a coma!” Ryder hissed and jabbed her finger to the med bay. 

“Well, I’m not anymore!” Scott wailed. 

“Where is Scott?” Lexi interrogated the whole ship, causing a swell in Gil and Liam’s scandalized whooping. “We are not doing this every week!”

“Scott is currently in the Pathfinder’s quarters, Dr. T’Perro,” SAM tattled for Ryder. “Scott, you are late for your appointment.”

“Uuuuuuuugh,” Scott whined. “Fine, Lexi, start warming the scalpel.”

“It’s just a routine check up,” Lexi scolded. “Really, Scott, you’re worse than Drack.”

Scott dropped Odin back in his cage and checked the hamster’s full water and overflowing food bowl. Petting the hamster’s head with one finger, Scott whispered a sorrowful farewell and swept out the door in dramatic surrender. Deciding Scott shouldn’t suffer alone, Ryder pulled herself back towards her desk to start the marginally less trying task of tallying planet viability. That was easy, as long as she didn’t think of the numbers attached to specific people and pods.

Ryder’s shoulders and neck ached from hunching over figures by the time she set the last datapad aside. There were five new planets that might support life, and the current colonies were starting to work on paper. The reality was much messier, but this would appease Tann and strengthen Ryder’s negotiating position. Recognizing the soft knock on her door, Ryder laughed, “You don’t have to do that, Jaal.”

Jaal leaned into the cabin before he entered, his brows knitting when he saw Ryder in her chair surrounded by orderly piles of paperwork. 

“You have been working since waking up,” Jaal bordered on scolding. “Have you eaten?”

“I had some cereal at lunch,” Ryder pointed to the empty bowl.

“Hmm,” Jaal glared in concerned disapproval. “You should stop. The work will wait; necessary nutrition, will not.”

“I can’t. And I also had a chocolate bar,” Ryder held up the wrapper of the milk chocolate bar she had been saving for two weeks. “That’s more than enough food.”

“Your people’s definition of “food” and ‘enough’ is…frightening,” Jaal took the wrapper and licked a missed morsel of chocolate off. Turning the wrapper over in fresh curiosity, Jaal admitted, “This ‘chocolate’, however…is _less_ disappointing than some things you eat.”

“It’s probably the best thing humans have invented so far.”

“You are being sarcastic,” Jaal sniffed the wrapper. “Your ship’s technology has much more useful applications.”

“But chocolate is delicious and makes you happy,” Ryder countered.

“Is this like ice cream?” Jaal asked with fascination. “The diversity of your food creates a fanaticism that is intriguing.”

“Yeah, it’s like ice cream,” Ryder took the wrapper back and picked the last fragment of chocolate from the bottom corner. “This restaurant we used to visit even had a dessert called ‘Death by Chocolate.’”

Jaal balked at the idea, staring at Ryder with wide eyes until he was sure she was serious.

“Something so dangerous is served openly _, for_ _enjoyment_?” Jaal demanded. “That defies nature and reason!”

“No, it’s not actually harmful,” Ryder simplified. “It was just hyperbole.”

Jaal snatched the wrapper from Ryder's hand. Jaal tuned the paper over and grunted.

“Human expressions are intentionally nonsensical,” Jaal grumbled. “Your species enjoys being confusing.”

“We don’t mean it that way…well, not all of us,” Ryder apologized. “I’m sorry, I’m angry at these reports. ”

Tossing the wrapper into the bin, Jaal brushed off his hands suspiciously. Blowing him a kiss to make amends, Ryder re-stacked the datapads into separate categories: inventory, population, climate conditions, Remnant presence. Ryder went on to stacking each category by location, then subdivided those by date.

Ryder didn’t realize how quiet the room was until she looked up from sorting and saw Jaal sitting at the end of their bed, looking over schematics on his screen. Cursing herself for being obtuse, Ryder called, “Are you ok? You’ve been down in the lab all day.”

“I am…fine. Tired, but…” Jaal paused. “We are all tired.”

“Is this about the promotion?” Ryder prompted gently.

“Reassignment,” Jaal disagreed without anger.Closing the projection of a gun he had been pondering, Jaal started to pace. “I am proud to have a purpose beyond the kett. But the Nexus has politics I don’t understand, aliens, people, who do not understand me or think of the angara…even the Moshae is learning, and I know so little of what I need to… it is discouraging.”

Jaal studied the floor as he walked, aimlessly running his hand through the images on his projection. His blue eyes were wide and searching, without any of his spark of interest or infectious energy when he was engaged in a project or excited for what awaited him. 

“Whoa,” Ryder caught Jaal’s hand as he rushed by. “Hey, Evfra trusts you, he always has. He knows you’ll do what you can for the angara.”

Jaal’s hand twisted in Ryder’s. Keeping his eyes on their tangled fingers, Jaal shook his head.

“Only a fool like Akksul thinks he can speak for all angara.”

Ryder’s heart went cold at the disappointed mask of Jaal’s face. Tightening her grip on Jaal’s hand, Ryder pulled Jaal to stand in front of her, before he could resume his agitated laps in the cabin. Resting her other hand on Jaal’s hip to hold him still, Ryder reminded firmly, “You are _not_ like Akksul. Akksul used violence and pain to scare and hurt people. You’re doing everything you can to keep Heleus from turning into that.”

Jaal tilted his head in surprise over the wobble of anger in Ryder's voice when she mentioned Akksul.

“Akksul still upsets you?”

“He shot you in the face,” Ryder reminded, Akksul’s glancing attempts to make amends turning her stomach. “I will _always_ be mad about that.”

Barely smiling at Ryder’s ferocity, Jaal stopped leaning away from Ryder’s hands. Trapping Jaal between her knees, Ryder assured, “No one thinks you have to be the only voice for the angara, Or the Resistance, Evfra is making himself heard. You’re just one more voice. One _more_ perspective, to help show the Initiative that they can’t do whatever they want.”

Ryder leaned up until Jaal got the hint and kissed her. Ryder hated seeing Jaal worn down by Tann’s games and Evfra’s demanding support. They didn’t need more politicians and short tempered combatants posturing at one another in a boardroom. Jaal said what he meant, did what he promised, and cared about the safety of everyone he protected. That was worth more than any Nexus committee. Ryder felt Jaal’s mouth turn up reluctantly, his lips tasting lightly of chocolate while he smelled clean and sweet.

“I should not let old fears distract me,” Jaal admitted. “We’re moving forward.”

“Take a break,” Ryder suggested. “No paperwork, no kett reports, no emails.”

Ryder channeled the command into a forceful kiss. Jaal grumbled good-naturedly and looked relieved. Ryder patted his chest encouragingly and offered a gentle push toward the door as she turned back to her work.

Reaching the first sentence of the second paragraph in front of her, Ryder didn’t catch a groan of satisfaction at Jaal’s fingers prodding a knot of muscle at the base of her neck and across her shoulders. Ryder's muscles twinged and complained at the strong massage before unraveling one minuscule fiber at a time. 

“No work,” Jaal reminded, pressing his hand into Ryder’s back to make her straighten up away from the desk. 

“I wasn’t talking about _me_ ,” Ryder contradicted weakly. “I have to finish these.”

“You are very stubborn, Jaime Ryder,” Jaal tipped her head back and showing a sparkle of mirth in his eyes as he looked down at her. “Or do you think, as our leader, that your advice should not be followed?”

“That’s a trap, and you know it,” Ryder complained.

“Yes, I do,” Jaal tapped Ryder’s cheeks with his thumbs to break her playful glower.

Jaal and Ryder stared at each other upside down, waiting for the other to break. Jaal’s eyes narrowed in amusement when Ryder sighed gratefully from the pressure of his fingers on the back of her neck. Ryder cast a look at the datapads on her desk, losing the obligatory will to go back to them.

“Perhaps we need both need a distraction from work,” Jaal suggested, tipping Ryder straight in her seat and trailing his fingers across her neck. 

“What did you have in mind?” Ryder asked innocently.

Standing and arching her back as an invitation, Ryder could feel Jaal’s eyes combing over her and absorbing every detail. Jaal's gaze was always alert and attentive toward the people around him, but Ryder basked in the sensation of having all of his senses focused on her alone.

“Well, I…I…” Jaal fumbled as he watched Ryder's innocently quizzical look. Humming when Ryder turned toward him and cocked her hip for an answer, Jaal asked slowly, "What did _you_ have in mind?”

“Sex,” Ryder made it simple as she slinked toward Jaal. “ _All_ of the sex.”

“Oh… _all_ of it? How can you have…do humans…?” Jaal jumped and widened his eyes. Noticing Ryder’s grin starting to escape, Jaal decided confidently, “Ah, more hyperbole. Good. That was also what _I_ had in mind.”

“Great minds think alike,” Ryder grinned. Unclasping the first buckle on Jaal’s suit, Ryder purred, “Y’know, some people think chocolate is an aphrodisiac…”

Jaal glanced at the bin he had thrown the wrapper in. Folding his lips flat in consideration, Jaal asked, “Do you have more of this chocolate?”

“Not with me, it’s hard to get,” Ryder admitted.

“But…you would like some,” Jaal suggested slowly, taking a step back with an injured expression. “To increase your sexual interest.”

“No, I don’t need help with that, I am _in-ter-rested_ ,” Ryder enunciated and pulled Jaal towards the bed. Tearing open Jaal’s suit to prove her point, Ryder softened her misunderstood teasing. “I thought it could be fun experiment someday, add some flavor. And see if it actually works. And, if not, then snack!”

“Flavor?” Jaal chuckled haughtily at Milky Way food. Peeling Ryder’s shirt off over her head, Jaal looked down Ryder’s body. Running his hand over her stomach and frowning at the quiet gurgle from it, Jaal decided, “I will ask Vetra if she can bring me chocolate. For you to eat. For an experiment.”

Ryder giggled giddily at the tickling sensation of Jaal’s fingers raising goosebumps and a tingling static across her skin. Ryder rushed to unclasp her bra and unbuckle her belt. Jaal folded his rofjinn neatly and placed it on the bedside table, shrugging off his suit and leaving it crumpled on the floor. Dragging Jaal down to the bed with her, Ryder kissed Jaal until he rasped to catch his breath.

Ryder shivered in anticipation as she ran her hands up Jaal’s arms. Soft and warm skin covered hard ridges of bone and cartilage under the coils of muscle that made up Jaal’s lean frame. Ryder tapped  her fingers over the raised marks on Jaal’s shoulders and chest. Some were natural, like the markings on his head that covered his skin in distinctive freckles and colorful scatterings. Others were earned: scars and lumps from healed bullet wounds and knife slashes enemies had left in their wake.

“You have some of your own,” Jaal recognized Ryder’s examinations, running his finger along the length of a scar a Roekaar blade had left on her upper arm. 

“Souvenirs,” Ryder reasoned.

“So we remember how we achieved this,” Jaal agreed, kissing where a bullet had shredded over Ryder’s shoulder.

Ryder mumbled a wordless affirmation, warmth spreading through her body to settle in between her legs. Jaal’s body thrummed in response from the building energy the angara contained. Jaal had been surprised that Ryder could feel that energy at first, marveling at the human sensitivity to what he considered a negligible shock. Jaal had learned quickly, brushing Ryder’s skin with a delicious tingle that buzzed through her just enough to awaken her nerves.

“No, Peebee, you can’t borrow it,” Cora snapped from the walkway to the bridge.

“Oh, come on!!” Peebee begged. “I’ll put it right back this time, I promise.”

Ryder closed her eyes to try and block out the sound of the biotics’ bickering, glad to have Jaal refocused her attention with a gentle nip above her breast. Jaal ran his hands up Ryder’s body, softening the thrumming current when his fingers reached her nipples. Ryder whimpered under Jaal's kneading hands, letting her stress fade into the background. 

“You promised last time, and I had to buy a new one,” Cora’s boots stomped overhead and brought Ryder crashing back to reality. “Ask Gil.”

“But _you’re_ right here,” Peebee’s voice followed.

“Peebee, don’t push it,” Cora ordered.

“Too strong?” Jaal asked, catching Ryder’s attention with a light tweak. “Ryder?”

“Nah,” Ryder assured, pulling Jaal up for a kiss and shaking her head against the distraction. Pressing Jaal’s palms against her breasts as proof, Ryder encouraged, “Nope, it’s all good.”

“So I lost a screwdriver,” Peebee’s voice got closer as Cora descended the ladder to the crew’s quarters.

“Two. You lost two,” Cora corrected sharply at the base of the ladder. “Yours and mine.”

“I’ve been meaning to ask, what sort of freak of nature labels every minuscule doohicky?” Ryder heard the heel of Peebee's shoe knock against the door as she leaned against the wall.

Jaal shifted to the side with a sigh as Ryder sat up on her elbows, waiting to see if she would have to intervene in the biotics' feud outside her door. Peebee groaned and Cora scoffed, “The answer is no. But here, I’ll just ask Gil for you. Gil?”

“Not getting involved, nice try ladies,” Gil sang. “My tools are on lockdown until I get my full kit back.”

“So you are taking sides! Her side!” Peebee insisted.

“Cora,” Ryder called through the door, holding Jaal’s wrists still. “Give her the screwdriver. Peebee, you’re buying her a new one when we reach the Nexus. Deal?”

Ryder dropped back into the pillows and listened to the bitter silence seeping under her door. A compromise that pleased no one, nicely done Pathfinder. Well, in her defense, diplomacy was tricky when the most attentive part of her was her nipples.

“Fine,” Cora agreed icily. “I can live with that.”

“Fine,” Peebee snipped. “Thanks a ton.”

Cora grumbled at Peebee’s sarcastic thanks and the door of the crew’s quarters hissed closed with a solid thunk. Peebee muttered to herself and mimicked Cora's snaps sourly in response, her stomps up the ladder clanging through the corridor.

“If they duke it out, they’re going to tear a hole in the ship,” Ryder told Jaal.

“Cora is far too disciplined for that, and Peebee…” Jaal paused and thought carefully. “Peebee…would not risk her work…or friends.”

“Now,” Jaal commanded while Ryder was still recovering from his blunt assessment. “No work.”

Ryder was coming up with a retort when Jaal jerked her hip and brought her against his body with an all over charge that left her pleasantly breathless and every nerve pulsing. The tension melted from Ryder’s muscles at the warmth of Jaal’s breath and lips on her breasts. Already primed, Ryder pulled Jaal’s hand between her legs, and pulled him up to be level with her, arching against the pressure of Jaal’s hand.

“No charge, yet,” Ryder had learned to warn Jaal of that the hard way. “But…friction is good.”

Jaal pulling Ryder against him, growling in his chest with her pressed to him. The vibration of sound rippled from the bones of Jaal’s chest over Ryder’s torso and downward, freeing a gasp and a new rush of wetness. 

“It’s not _fair_ that you can do that,” Ryder almost whined.

“You seem to like it,” Jaal laughed. “Often.”

“Damn right,” Ryder panted, shuddering at Jaal’s fingers sliding into her. “Sh…aaaah, fuck.”

“Gil…Gil!” Ryder and Jaal froze in unison at Kallo’s furious shout from above echoing through the ship.

“Oh, Christ,” Gil groaned from the crew’s quarters.

Ryder bounced her hips on the bed to prompt Jaal to continue when Kallo’s voice faded and Gil hid in the crews quarters quietly. Kissing past Ryder’s breasts, Jaal trailed kisses and nips down past Ryder’s navel and twisting his fingers gently to make Ryder yelp. Reaching Ryder’s patch of pubic hair and pausing in perpetual bemusement, Jaal ducked to kiss Ryder’s leg and up.

“Ok,” Ryder sighed to herself and wiggling her toes when Jaal stroked her with his fingers until she bucked her hips towards him. Ryder tipped her knees out and stretched out to press against Jaal’s mouth. Quaking at the lash of Jaal's tongue, Ryder panted, “Ok, wow, yup, that’s n-“

“Gil!” Kallo squawked from down the hall and the loudest stomp a salarian could manage. “I know you’re in there!”

“Damn it!” Ryder cursed softly and Jaal was already propping himself on his elbow beside her as she tucked in her knees and scooted away as the conflict neared her door.

“What is it now?” Gil shouted, the door of the crew’s quarters hissing open again. “What, Kallo, you found me!”

“Did you change the weight distribution?” Kallo demanded. “She’s lopsided!”

“There was something off with the wiring, so, yeah, I moved a few crates to get to the panel,” Gill said carelessly.  “We’re in open space, Kallo, you afraid we’ll hit something if we cruise a bit left?”

“Cruise a bit…you call yourself qualified. What if we had to take evasive maneuvers?” Kallo gasped in horror. Ryder clapped her hand over her eyes and smothered a scream of frustration at both the engineer and the pilot. Of all the bad timings for Gil to get his jabs in...

“Then you’ll have kett to lose and a whole mess of crates, and Liam’s couch, sliding around down there that I’d be more worried about,” Gil retorted. “Get your horns out of a twist, we’re fine.”

“It is not a question of ‘fine.’” Kallo snapped. Ryder pulled her pillow over her face as the argument continued while the warm buzz faded and Jaal patted her leg apologetically. Nothing like an insulted salarian and smart-ass engineer snarking at the door to tank the mood. Kallo inhaled with the weight of the world on him, continuing, “It is about _respect_. This is my ship, I should be informed of all changes. I’m not only her pilot, I-”

“I didn’t change your ship, I changed the placement of luggage in _our_ ship,” Ryder could practically hear Gil crossing his arms in smug defensiveness. “And what do you mean, it’s not a question of fine? You’d be happy with a shit engine and old shoddy wiring-“

“ _Shoddy_?” Kallo spluttered.

“-just as long as we fly straight and the furniture’s nailed down? Cool if the engine blows, but God forbid you have to actually watch the stick.”

“Gil, that’s not helpful,” Cora interjected judiciously.

“That’s not the point!!!” Kallo reached a new pitch of fury. “You can’t do whatever-“

“Gil, tell Kallo next time you move enough weight for him to notice!” Ryder lifted the pillow off of her face to shout. “Kallo, we’re fine! You’ve flown in the Scourge, it’s just crates!”

“How much weight can you notice, Kallo?” Gil asked innocently.

“Gil!” Ryder roared at the door and Cora shouted directly for her. 

“Fine, fine, fine-fine-fine,” Gil conceded without a real fight. “Kallo, I moved….seven crates of Peebee’s scrap to get to a panel to fix the wiring. Yeah, they’re heavier than you’d think, sorry. I’ll have them replaced in a jiffy. Happy?”

“Acceptable,” Kallo sniffed triumphantly. “Thank you, Ryder. _Gil_.”

“Good, go to your separate…corners,” Ryder ordered.

Kallo’s light footsteps padded away and the crew’s quarters closed again over Gil’s latest witticism to his back. Ryder stayed sprawled as she was, searching for any way to salvage a pleasurable sensation after that argument. Thoroughly unsatisfied and tense from shoulders to ass again, Ryder was horny, annoyed, and progressively turned off.

“You are…stiff,” Jaal noticed tactfully. “And less…responsive. Should we stop?”

“No,” Ryder decided, rolling and tipping Jaal onto his back to straddle him “I just need a minute.”

_And the ship to take care of itself for a few more, damn it._

“Let’s get you warmed up,” Ryder decided.

Jaal watched with interest as Ryder generated a weak biotic field over her hands and arms and set her omnitool to a light electric current. The spark coursed through the biotic field, creating light pins and needles against Ryder’s skin and letting small currents of electricity flow from her skin to Jaal’s. Keeping the charge low and steady before it surged into a blast, Ryder climbed her fingers from the hollows of Jaals shoulder and across his ribs. Jaal grunted in a mix of surprise and satisfaction, his bioelectricity leaping back and sparking against the field over Ryder’s hand and fingers. 

“Is that painful?” Jaal took Ryder’s hand carefully.

“Mmm-mm. My implant knows how to offset a light charge, so my biotics don’t hurt too much,” Ryder assured, flexing her fingers to demonstrate her comfort. “We use electronics to make our biotics work, so we always have some electric fields looking for a place to go.”

Jaal nodded, closing his eyes in a response to a strong arc from his chest to his solar plexus. Stretching out her legs as Jaal’s hip bones dug into them, Ryder moved her hands to his stomach and lightened the current to press a kiss under his sternum.

“There we go,” Ryder praised herself and breathed as she felt Jaal stiffen and her body decided to enjoy it.

“Your biotics are a marvel,” Jaal complimented as he stroked Ryder’s neck and down her chest.

“They’ve saved my ass more than once,” Ryder admitted, swinging off of Jaal’s hips and watching the skin of his stomach tense and relax from the shared electric pulses.

Jaal growled in approval as Ryder traced down the crease of his hips until she reached his cock. Pale as the pigmentation on his belly, Jaal’s cock was almost translucent and smooth save for the raised speckles alongside the faint lines of dark blue veins. Ryder spread the electricity through biotics field on her palm against the stiffening muscle.

“You have gotten very skilled,” Jaal complimented between short breaths.

“I’ve had some practice,” Ryder reminded.

“You were eager,” Jaal’s words reverberated adoringly.

Jaal hummed gutturally as Ryder stroked him, tremors working over his hock joints. Ryder flinched at an electric stab that left her hand numb. Wiggling over and trying to switch her hands stealthily, Ryder shook feeling back into her hand under Jaal’s leg.

“Are you alright?” Jaal sat up. “That was stronger than I expected.”

“Yeah, just warn me,” Ryder glanced at her unscathed palm. “My barrier was a little low.”

Blowing a raspberry into Jaal’s stomach and earning a disconcerted wriggle on Jaal’s part, Ryder wet her mouth and waited for energy to stop coursing over her biotic field and hands before putting her mouth around Jaal. They had learned that the hard way too, with a shock that had left Ryder’s tongue and lips numb and tender for several hours. The release of his store of electricity earlier lessened the risk. Listening to Jaal rumble and feeling the tremors through his muscles, Ryder was glad to be confident in something.

“It’s a little expensive,” Suvi’s voice drifted gently down from the kitchen. “But it sounds like the closest thing to earth tea since we got to Heleus.”

“Wow,” Vetra practically cooed at Suvi. “If I’d known you wanted it that badly, I could have found something.”

“It’s alright,” Suvi comforted sweetly. “Even the black-market will run out of Milky Way supplies at some point.”

“You’d be surprised.”

Categorizing the chatter as benign and not in need of her attention, Ryder hummed in her throat to mimic a vibration like Jaal's, laughing at Jaal’s rough groan through gritted teeth and kick of his leg. Nipping at his stomach and rotating her hand, Ryder shivered alongside Jaal's ravenous rumble.

“Is it safe?” Vetra asked. “For humans, I mean?”

“I saw several other colonists buying it,” Suvi assured happily.

Taking her mouth away when Jaal tensed and rolled his hips up, Ryder kissed her way back up his stomach and chest, informing, “I think I’ve caught a second wind.”

“You are…wet again?” Jaal asked and looked down to look as he drew a circle on Ryder’s stomach that left her crackling and agonizingly aroused.

“Wet and waiting,” Ryder breathed, rubbing her tailbone back against Jaal’s length.

Jaal chuckled, tipping Ryder forward with his legs in her back until she was lying against his chest. Pecking her on the nose until Ryder snuffled, Jaal laughed and rolled, flipping Ryder under him in one motion. Running his fingers down, Jaal confirmed, “So you are” before making Ryder twist from a tickling tingle.

“‘M I interrupting something,” Drack’s steps vibrated through the floor from the hall into the kitchen.

“Maybe,” Vetra informed. “Suvi was explaining how to make tea from this…what is it?”

“It’s bark,” Suvi explained, adding something else Ryder missed through Jaal’s course moan. “The angara merchant said it was an herbal drink.”

“Well, don’t mind me,” Drack soothed sardonically. “I’m just an old man, trying to get a meal.”

Ryder pressed her knuckles into her mouth to muffle herself as Jaal ground against her, dragging a kiss up her sternum until she was arching desperately against his erection between their bodies. Ryder enjoyed building to an all-encompassing desperation, but she was already aching to feel Jaal in and against her. 

“Would you like some?” Suvi offered and Vetra sighed unhappily, while Ryder shouted into her own palm. “It’s from the genujti tree on Aya.”

“Oh,” Jaal jerked his head up from Ryder’s cleavage and glanced at the door just as Ryder was reaching down to clasp him.

“What?” Ryder panted in disbelief and balled her hand in the sheet in frustration. “Oh, what?”

“Angara do use genujti bark in herbal mixes,” Jaal settled back on his knees with is eyes flickering thoughtfully. “Our doctors use it to help with pain. But concentrated doses can cause mild hallucinations. I’ve…heard…they’re quite enjoyable.”

Ryder bolted upright and Jaal scrambled backward in surprise. Draping herself over the bed and digging for her clothes, Ryder crawled faster as she heard the tea kettle start to whistle. Suvi averaged two cups of tea for every batch, and liked her tea dark and bracing.

“Great,” Ryder yanked on her pants and stuffed her head through her shirt. “My scientist is going to be tripping balls.”

"Would you like some?" Suvi offered politely over the clatter of dishes.

"Pass. I'll start pre-gaming, though," Vetra's response ushered in the hiss of a beer bottle.

“Eh, why not?” Drack added. “What’s the worst it could do, kill me?”

“Ah. This could get chaotic,” Jaal mused in understanding and reached for his suit. “Shit.”

Ryder raked her hair back from tousled disarray and tied it as she ran, punching the buttons of her scanner frantically as she nearly smacked into her locked door. 

“SAM, do something!” Ryder remembered too late as she jogged down the hall to prevent a new disaster.

“Dr. Anwar, please refrain from drinking that,” SAM blared. “Genutji bark is palatable, but causes a number of side effects including hallucinations, muscle spasms, and dry mouth.”

“Huh,” Ryder rounded the door just as Drack looked into his full cup. “Sounds fun.”

“Oh goodness,” Suvi set her cup aside quickly.

Ryder shouted a warning as Drack tossed the drink down his throat. Gulping loudly, Drack smacked his lips and ground his teeth over the concoction.

“Not bad,” Drack decided, helping himself to the cup Suvi had dropped. “Could use some booze, though.”

“Drack, we can’t have a hallucinating krogan!” Ryder begged.

“Kid,” Drack tossed his two cups in the sink carelessly. “I once downed two bottles of ryncol with Hallex as a chaser before flying a shuttle out of _Omega_ without a scratch. On me or the shuttle. This is nothin’.”

“I’m so sorry, Ryder! The vendor said it was edible,” Suvi blushed. Pouring the steeping tea down the sink and stuffing the packet in the trash, Suvi hissed at herself, “Most angara know…but it’s so stupid of me not to ask, in Kadara of all places.”

“Considering Drack’s impressive size,” Jaal comforted as he appeared at Ryder’s shoulder, primly dressed with his rofjinn perfectly draped. “I doubt he will experience the more serious side effects. You, Suvi,  would have faced much stronger symptoms. You missed a bullet.”

“Damn,” Drack cracked his neck in disappointment. “I had my whole evening planned.”

“So did I,” Vetra laughed. Watching Suvi scrubbing the cups and kettle furiously, Vetra soothed, “We all slip up sometimes. It just sounds like a, um, miscommunication on the dealer, _vendor’s_ , part.”

“I should know better,” Suvi insisted with an almost inaudible sniff. “I know that just because something is edible doesn’t mean you should eat it without more research. I was too excited to see what I could make, I didn’t stop to ask what I was using. I’m such a dumbbell.”

“You are trusting, and so eager to try new things, Suvi. That is admirable, as a scientist and a pioneer,” Jaal disagreed sincerely. “There is warm drink made from the seeds of the elmohk fruit I think you would enjoy. When we return to Aya, I can show you where to buy it. I know the trader, she'll be overjoyed to suggest recipes.” 

Setting the dishes softly in the sink, Suvi took a deep breath and leaned on her hands at the edge of the counter to hold them still. 

“Thank you, Jaal,” Suvi nodded, smiling thankfully. “I’d like that.”

Ryder sighed, trying not to think about her shortness of breath and the damp patch cooling between her legs. Jaal rested a hand on her lower back. Tucking her hands in her pockets, Ryder slouched behind the doorframe, leaning into Jaal’s kiss on her temple.

“In the meantime, I’ll see what I can scrounge up from my contacts,” Vetra was promising Suvi sweetly. “You can make old fashioned tea while you revolutionize Heleus food.”

“Awful nice of you, Vetra,” Drack noticed, pushing Vetra out of his way to reach the fridge. “If you ladies don’t mind, I have sandwiches to make.”

“Sandwiches?” Ryder asked at the newest disappointment of her day. “That’s mundane for you.”

“Finger food,” Suvi placed her cups and kettle in the cabinets. Drying her hands, Suvi added when she saw Ryder’s confusion, “Movie night, remember? We need something that won’t ruin the furniture.”

“Any idea what Liam’s chosen for tonight?” Vetra asked fatalistically. “‘The Salarian Who Loved Me’ again?”

“Not if he wants to eat,” Drack threatened into the fridge.

“I’ll go check,” Ryder volunteered preemptively as an excuse.

Leaving Drack laying out bread and chopping meat, Ryder wished she had the power to make the ship’s doors slam as Jaal followed her back to their room. In her gut, she knew she was being unfair. This was the daily tasks that kept the ship running and the crew cohesive. It was just one of _those_ days. It was no one's fault, exactly. But that didn't improve her mood.

“That did not go as expected,” Jaal admitted remorsefully, brushing himself off.

“Not exactly,” Ryder stripped off her rumpled clothes and hurried to clean herself up. “If you and Gil get the tech set up in the meeting room, I’ll make sure Liam has the movie, Drack’s got food, Vetra and Peebee got booze while we were on Kadara, Suvi got space acid…movie, drinks, food, hardware, check, that’s everything.”

Ryder circled her room as she dressed, stopping when Jaal caught her with a hand on each of her shoulders.

“Find Liam, I will find Gil,” Jaal soothed. “This is to let the entire crew relax. That includes you.”

“Not the relaxing I had in mind,” Ryder grumbled, dousing her face and neck with cold water on her way past the bathroom.

Patrolling the hall in search of Liam, Ryder found him with Scott, tossing a baseball over the Strike Team projections. Reminding herself that Scott had been helpful and Liam was innocent, Ryder mustered up some cheer to ask, “Got the movie all picked?”

“Oh, yeah,” Liam slung the ball to Scott and bounced with excitement. “Got a copy of ‘From Sunset to Sunrise,’ gonna be _perfect_. Ultimate cult classic, they banned it on Palaven. This pair of fugitive turians pick up salarian tourists at a fuel station and drag them to _Omega_ , well, basically _Omega_ , where-“

“We’re gonna watch it in five minutes,” Scott cut him off with a friendly throw into Liam’s chest. 

“Can you round up Kallo and Cora?” Ryder asked Liam.

“On it, Pathfinder,” Liam was already jogging to the cockpit, tossing the ball to Scott as he left. “It’ll be awesome, I promise.”

Scott rolled the baseball between his palms on the other side of the hologram. He looked none the worse for wear from his check-up, Ryder noticed scathingly, immediately feeling petty and disappointed in herself.

“Lexi give everything the ok?”

“Still fine-tuning the hand-eye coordination part,” Scott held up the baseball. Dropping the baseball to spin through the air, Scott snatched it before it hit the ground. “But, getting there. I feel like a goddamn planet: 60% viability, 70%, 90%…ugh.”

Watching her brother drop the ball and catch it with the tips of his fingers, Ryder felt guilt seep in next to her annoyance. She had been so focussed on her annoyance at Tann, her piles of work, and trying to snatch a moment with Jaal that she had willfully forgotten that everyone on board was dealing with the same mountain of responsibilities. Ryder couldn't lose her temper and pout while the rest of her crew worked all day and organized a movie night to let everyone unwind. Shrugging off the specter of her pettiness, Ryder held out her hand for the ball. Catching it with both hands, Ryder underhanded the ball to Scott to catch with one hand.

“If Lexi’s your vault, you’ll be at 100% in no time,” Ryder assured as the crew started to file into the meeting room for the vid. 

“Flattery? You must have a check up soon,” Lexi teased over a plate piled with sandwiches.

“Everything is set up,” Jaal came down from the meeting room, motioning the crew past graciously.

Scott socked his sister on the shoulder lightly as he went to join Cora. Jaal caught Ryder’s arm as she moved to follow, keeping her beside him for a leisurely stroll up the ramp after the crew. Vetra and Drack had quickly shoved couches and chairs together while Gil loaded the movie on the projected screen. Peebee cannon balled onto the couch between Vetra and Drack, leaving Lexi and Kallo leaning against the arms on either side and Liam perched on the arm of the couch beside Drack. Scott sprawled in chair at the end beside Vetra and Suvi curled up in the chair beside Scott, while Gil and Cora leaned against their legs. Jaal gently placed Ryder in the last chair in the row, silently leaning against the arm of her chair without complaint and handing Ryder a sandwich before Ryder had to reach for the platter.

Ryder immediately felt her head start to clear with the first bite of the sandwich. Gulping down the sandwich in four bites, Ryder coached herself into becoming interested in the vid. The tension from the crew's quarters was lurking under the surface in the vexed looks between Gil and Kallo and Peebee sticking her tongue out at the back of Cora's head, but Vetra had the beer flowing freely and Drack's sandwiches kept everyone mollified as the beginning credits rolled.

“Oh, I’ve seen this!” Peebee pointed at two turians shooting an elcor cashier at a fuel station.

“Scott and I have too, actually,” Ryder frowned at the screen in vague recognition. "Didn't they ban this on the Citadel too?" 

“This was hard to find when we were in the Milky Way, where did you find this?” Scott wiggled in his seat excitedly.

“Took some digging, but turns out not everyone on Kadara has shit taste,” Liam waved at the screen as it started. "That ban got overturned after fans protested outside the theater. Some stink about a scene that got cut anyway."

“Don’t spoil it,” Drack held his glass out to Vetra for a fresh helping of liquor.

Ryder leaned against Jaal and stared at the half-forgotten movie. It was nice to see the crew relaxing, even with the remnants of their arguments still fading. Gil reached backward for a beer and a sandwich, reluctantly passing Kallo a serving without a snide comment. Vetra handed Suvi a small glass of wine, poking Suvi playfully until the woman giggled softly and settled back into her chair comfortably. 

“Oh, that’s grotesque,” Kallo cringed as one of the turians taped a wound shut.

"Where'd he even get tape at a Terminus fuel station?" Ryder asked.

“Impressive blood splatter,” Suvi said tactfully through a large bite of sandwich.

“Seen better,” Vetra shrugged.

“Made better,” Drack snorted.

“That anatomy is dreadful,” Lexi took a soothing gulp of wine.

“Just use medigel!” Gil shouted at the screen and mimed throwing his sandwich.

“Doesn’t have medigel,” Liam shushed. “They’re on the run, probably didn’t have time to browse a pharmacy.”

“Weren’t you a cop?” Vetra asked.

“Sure. Doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate good cinema,” Liam pointed gleefully at another spray of blood that left Kallo turning green.

“Liam, man, we need to talk about that,” Scott swirled his drink in his glass and leaned back when the turian shoved the barrel of his gun into a young salarian’s mouth as a threat. “Jesus, this is gorier than I remember…”

Jaal tapped Ryder’s shoulder. Jerking his head to the lower level, Jaal took Ryder's hand and started to stand. Ryder shot a look at the back of everyone’s head and slowly followed. The crew chattered amongst themselves at the movie, keeping the jabs and retorts light and friendly. Crushing a wriggle of guilt for ducking out on tradition, Ryder trotted after Jaal.  Taking the lead when the reached the Strike Team projector, Ryder slid down the ladder to her quarters and dragged Jaal in before locking the door firmly.

“We have…ten minutes before Liam will want to know what we think of the stripper bar,” Ryder calculated and frantically kicked off her pants while Jaal folded his rofjinn. “Fifteen, maybe. Then they’ll definitely notice we ducked out.”

“I think they can watch vids without an intervention,” Jaal comforted. Helping Ryder out of her shirt and holding her still with his hands around her waist, Jaal instructed, “No work, Ryder. Focus on this.”

Jaal drew Ryder to him and captured her mouth with his before she could protest. Hopping into Jaal’s arms and wrapping her legs around his waist, Ryder forgot to worry about politics and petty gripes between the crew. Ryder’s biotic barrier rippled over her an instant before Jaal’s soft current snapped against it in an encompassing pulse. Ryder clung to Jaal as the sensation sang through her, tapering off to leave her muscles watery as Jaal lowered her to the bed.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Ryder squeezed Jaal with her knees. 

“Of course not,” Jaal pulled Ryder’s to him with a hand under her back. Ryder shouted sharply as Jaal fingers caressed her slick center. “You seem ready?”

“Please,” Ryder begged.

Ryder cried out in duet with Jaal’s deep rasp as he entered her. Ryder didn’t have room or energy to care as she wrapped herself around Jaal to feel all of him. Ryder’s biotic barrier crackled under Jaal’s hands from the electricity trickling out in gentle bursts against her hips and thighs. Rocking her hips back against Jaal’s hungrily, Ryder strengthened her barrier and added her own weak surge of electricity. Jaal leaned into the current through her omnitool, gripping her hand flat against his stomach to spread the sensaton across his body.

“Do you feel that at all?” Ryder asked, pulling Jaal down to kiss him deeply. 

“It feels different,” Jaal rolled his shoulders back against the biotic aura. “More pulsing than an angara’s current.”

“Different, aaah, isn’t good,” Ryder lowered her barrier slightly through a shiver. “Fuck!” 

Jaal laughed softly, assuring through the tangle of their mouths, “It’s surprising, like you. In the best way.”

Ryder lost her words in Jaal’s next thrust, gasping in exhilarating breathlessness. Letting her barrier strengthen and ease naturally in time with Jaal's surges, Ryder lost herself in the warmth they shared, the sensations that flooded through her, and Jaal’sloving rumbles and shouts in a mixture of Shelesh and English. Ryder’ muscles clenched around him, the heat building through her.

“You are open like this. Strong and fierce, but…soft and unguarded,” Jaal worshiped, cupping Ryder’s ass. ”It’s remarkable.”

“So are you,” Ryder reminded, forcing Jaal to lookat her so he would believe it. “All of that, and more.”

Jaal smiled without acknowledging the praise, burying himself in Ryder. Ryder’s barrier shattered and she arched back, Jaal’s name mixing with a wordless cry as she came. Jaal stiffened, falling still until Ryder reformed her barrier while she caught her breath. Ryder placed her hands on Jaal’s chest, maintaining a pulsating field around them. Jaal shuddered, finishing three strokes later with a flash of electricity from his hands against Ryder’s field.

Ryder cradled Jaal against her body, their chests rising and falling opposite one another in contented gasps. Running her fingers over Jaal’s brow piercings with a last flicker of electricity between her finger and the metal, Ryder whispered, “I needed that.”

“So did I,” Jaal ran his fingers through Ryder’s hair as he kissed her gently.

Jaal rolled onto his back beside Ryder, and Ryder could feel him flicking his eyes over her body. Flipping onto her stomach to stop his worrying, Ryder mumbled, “We should shower and head back.”

“In a moment,” Jaal promised. Ryder nodded and closed her eyes as Jaal stroked her back gently. “You look exhausted. Is the barrier too much?”

“No, it’s not taking real damage so it’s ok,” Ryder shook her head. “This is great exhaustion.”

Ryder pushed herself up and onto her feet before she gave into sleep. Jaal caught Ryder as her legs wobbled at having to work while they were still regaining feeling. Wrapping her towel around them, Ryder called, “SAM? Anyone in the hall?” 

“The crew is still in the meeting room, Pathfinder,” SAM informed. "Though some have noticed your absence, they seem to be enjoying the choice of vid."

Looping the towel around the two of them and pulling Jaal with her to the showers, Ryder pinned her hair up and forced herself to wash quickly. Jaal refused to rush, washing methodically in the warm water. Jaal rotated Ryder in a circle and accepted that she was unscathed.Nuzzling the back of Ryder’s neck, Jaal mumbled, “With you, I feel remarkable.”

“You’ve always been remarkable,” Ryder reminded. “But I’m happy to be a part of that now.”

Ryder splashed Jaal’s face to break his solemn air. Jaal spluttered, laughing and pulling Ryder into the water with him. The hot water poured down around them, soaking into Ryder's muscles and helping to banish the last echoes of tension from the day. Ryder lay her palm against Jaal's and laced their fingers, kissing the back of Jaal's hand. She could do this, Ryder reminded herself; if it meant preserving moments like this, Ryder could do this. Following a drop of water with his finger down Ryder's nose and mouth, Jaal admitted reluctantly, “We should get back.”

"Yeah," Ryder didn't hate the idea as much as she thought she would. "Yeah, let's go, we don't want to miss the big finale."

Drying and getting dressed quickly, Ryder shuffled up the ramp with Jaal and slid into her seat. Liam, Vetra, and Drack cheered while Lexi and Cora cringed as an asari with red blood running down her face was shot through the chest by a salarian with a shotgun on screen.Suvi was hugging her wine to her in consternation, putting a hand to her mouth in intrigued horror at a shot of a bar strewn with bodies and wrecked furniture. 

Ryder caught Gil’s knowing look at her and Peebee peering over the back of the couch at them. Peebee beamed from ear to ear when Jaal stared back without embarrassment until Peebee turned back to whisper something in Vetra's ear that made Vetra laugh. Ryder tucked her bangs behind her ear and cuffed wrinkles out of her pants to wave Peebee off, flicking at Gil to watch the vid when he bouncing his eyebrows suggestively.Ignoring Gil’s smug snicker and the sight of her brother taking a hearty gulp of beer, Ryder curled up in her chair and grimaced at the carnage spraying in the vid.

"We need to get something other than action movies," Ryder decided out loud.

“Nah. Best movie you ever picked,” Drack belched approvingly as one of the turians got ripped apart by a mob of rampaging asari.

“I heard they used real Ardat-Yakshi for the strippers,” Liam told all of them softly.

“That’s not exploitative,” Cora wrinkled her nose unhappily and held up her glass for another serving

“Oh, don’t be such a…” Peebee glanced at Ryder. “Uh…I returned your screwdriver, by the way. To the exact tray you had it in.”

“Thank you,” Cora toasted Peebee and took a swig of her drink.

Except for the vid, the room was peaceful. Suvi dropped into a doze against the arm of her chair while Kallo took her tipping drink from her hand and set it aside carefully. Drack cracked open another ryncol with his claw and tossed Vetra a fresh turian beer from the dwindling group of bottles. Scott handed Cora a fresh beer, stealing a kiss to her cheek behind her turned head. Even Lexi was relaxed, sipping wine and sitting up straight but watching without criticism through the final act. Ryder rested her shoulder against Jaal's hip as she watched them, happy to see that they could still get lost in vids after everything.

“There, you see?" Jaal kissed the top of Ryder’s head. “No disasters without you.”

Ryder mumbled in agreement. Catching the beer Vetra tossed her and making herself comfortable in the seat with the crew around her, Ryder sighed deeply. Even through all the squabbles, and chaos, and malfunctions, there was no place like home. 


End file.
